The formation of coalitions in the run-up to elections has increasingly become inevitable as many of the political parties lack the clout to go it alone in pursuit of national leadership. And being so essential, it is important that such agreements clearly spell out how the positions to emerge after the poll should be shared out.
In the August 9 general election, there were two major coalitions—the Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party. After the former won the poll, there has been grumbling even in the losing team on how to share out the positions in the National Assembly and the Senate.
Coalitions often bring together groups that have little in common but are driven by elections. That explains the need to determine the entitlements of the members. Of course, the politicians will get together once again for the next elections, in 2027.
To streamline coalitions, there is a proposal that the Registrar of Political Parties be required to inform Parliament about the coalition agreements deposited with the office. The Political Parties (Amendment) Bill 2022 seeks an amendment of the Act to that end. Depositing agreements with Parliament will help to determine parties’ entitlements in the coalitions.
Sharing positions
This bill, if passed into law, and which it should, will outline the sharing out of the influential parliamentary positions—such as leaders of the majority and their deputies, as well as majority whips and their deputies. The same should apply to their minority counterparts and determine the distribution of membership of committees in the bicameral House.
Disputes and bad blood have threatened to tear apart the current coalitions in bitter rows over the distribution of these key positions. According to the Act, the party or coalition of parties with the highest number of lawmakers in the two Houses is entitled to majority leadership and whips. The one with the second-highest number gets the minority positions.
It would not have been necessary for National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to step in and determine the majority coalition had this proposed legislation been in place. Strong parties and coalitions are vital to enhancing democracy.
